9781422276594

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Origins of Harvest Rites and Festivals

S ince ancient people first learned that they could grow crops instead of going out to gather food, communities, towns, and entire civilizations have been able to take root. Sophisticated cultures began to develop as food drying and storage techniques

words to understand

Ancestor worship : A belief that the dead have needs to be taken care of by the living and that there is a connection between the dead and the fertility of the land; the rites performed to honor this connection, especially during times of harvest and the festival associated with them. Aqueduct : A channel for moving water from a higher level to a lower level, often used to move water over long distances. Islam : The religion of Muslims throughout the world, based on the word of God that was revealed to the Muslim prophet Muhammad during the seventh century c.e. Islam also refers collectively to the people, culture, and countries where Muslims live.

t  A Palestinian farmer harvests olives in the traditional manner at Nazareth Village, an historical re-creation of Nazareth as it was in biblical times.

Origins of Harvest Rites and Festivals n

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